Author: Tamamian Anna

BODIES OF 47 VICTIMS IN A-320 PLANE CRASH IDENTIFIED

ITAR-TASS, Russia
May 10 2006

MOSCOW, May 10 (Itar-Tass) – The bodies of 47 victims as a result
of the crash of an airplane A-320 near Sochi have been identified,
the information department of the Emergencies Ministry told Itar-Tass
on Wednesday. “Four victims of this tragedy could not be identified
so far,” the information department said, adding that “during the
search operation rescuers managed to find only 51 bodies.” The crashed
airplane A-320 was carrying 105 passengers and eight crewmembers.

“Large parts of the airplane could not be recovered from the water,”
a source in the operational headquarters of the search operation
deployed in Sochi told Itar-Tass. However, the search operation
does not stop. Last weekend the special equipment was supplied from
France that allows examining the sea bottom and setting the accurate
coordinates of the flight recorders. “This equipment will be installed
on the sea tugboat “Navigator” on Wednesday,” the source said.

As many as 571 people, 27 vessels and one helicopter are involved in
the search operation, he pointed out.

The airbus A-320 belonging to the Armenian airline Armavia has
crashed in the Black Sea during another attempt at landing in the
Sochi airport overnight to May 3. The catastrophe claimed the lives of
113 people. According to the latest reports, 51 bodies were recovered
from the water. A Russian transport emergency airplane Il-76 brought
the bodies of 36 crash victims to Yerevan.

Journal of Turkish Weekly
May 9 2006

Turkish FM Gul Meeting US Delegation Talks About Iran

ANKARA – Turkey’s Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul received the US House
of Representatives Foreign Relations Committee Council at the
ministry residence yesterday.

Turkey’s relations with the U.S., Armenia and Israel, along with Iran
and Iraq related issued were discussed at the meeting.

Explaining Ankara’s attitude over Iran’s nuclear program, Turkish FM
Gul said Turkey does not want a new crisis in the region and that
they invite the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council
Ali Larijani to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA).

Referring to the importance of preserving Iraq’s territorial
integrity and forming a national unity government, Turkish FM Gul
asserted that Turkey and the US should support the integrity process
of all parties in Iraq.

Gul also briefed about the historical Armenian allegations at the
meeting, and he pointed out the importance of forming a joint
committee to investigate the historical disputes. Both sides accuse
each other of committing genocide against each other. “More than
520.000 Turks and Kurds were massacred” Dr. Nilgun Gulcan says.
Similarly the Armenians name the 1915 Relocation Campaign as
‘genocide’.

Edgar Hilsenrat: When writing this book, I felt Armenian

09.05.2006 12:54

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – German author Edgar Hilsenrat met on May 7 with
Armenian intelligentsia.

Hilsenrat, who was awarded a presidential prize for his book `The Tale
of the Last Though’ on the Armenian Genocide, was also granted the
honorary doctor title of the Yerevan State University.

`When writing this book, I felt Armenian,’ said Hilsenrat, who is of
Jewish origin. The book was first published in 1989 and almost
immediately received the Alfred Doblin award. It has been translated
into Russian, Turkish and now Armenian. The Turkish publisher of the
book was later sentenced to a prison time.

`I don’t know whether it was because of my book or another reason but
one thing I know is that Turks had no chance to read it, all the
copies of the book were withdrawn from bookstores,’ the German author
said. Hilsenrat said he hoped Turkey would recognize the Armenian
Genocide some time. He also deplored Israel for refusing to recognize
the Genocide.

Speaking at the meeting, Babken Harutiunian of the Yerevan State
University History Department thanked Hilsenrat, saying the prize he
received was only a modest acknowledgment of the work the author has
done.

Agence France Presse
5 mai 2006 vendredi 7:50 AM GMT

Genocides et crimes contre l’humanite : le partage des memoires
(PAPIER D’ANGLE)

Par Veronique BUTTIN

Genocide et crime contre l’humanite: un colloque a recemment debattu
a Lyon, a l’initiative du collectif Reconnaissance, de ces deux
grandes questions de l’Histoire en s’appuyant sur le partage des
memoires des peuples qui en ont souffert.

Intitule “Memoires partagees des genocides et des crimes contre
l’humanite”, ce colloque international a reuni des chercheurs, des
historiens et des universitaires qui se sont attaches pendant 48
heures (les 28 et 29 avril) a faire le point sur ces tragedies, en
particulier sur le plan juridique et politique.

L’originalite de la demarche de Reconnaissance, premier collectif du
genre en France, reside dans le partage de la memoire entre les
victimes ou leurs descendants, explique Daniel Meguerditchian, son
delegue general. “C’est un très bon outil”, ajoute-t-il, tout en
reconnaissant a chaque drame “son caractère unique et sa manière
propre de s’inscrire dans l’histoire”.

Pas question de preter le flanc a la “concurrence victimaire”,
rencherit Jules Mardirossian, president du collectif, dont le siège
est a Villeurbanne (Rhône) et qui regroupe 15 associations
“representant aussi bien le genocide des Armeniens que celui des
juifs d’Europe”, “l’ethnocide du Tibet” ou la “famine genocidaire
d’Ukraine”.

“Il s’agit au contraire de rassembler les empathie entre ces groupes
pour en faire une force”, souligne-t-il, rappelant qu’il avait fallu
“trois ans de preparation pour organiser le colloque” de Lyon.

Pendant les debats, les participants ont notamment travaille sur des
questions de terminologie et multiplie les interrogations.

Aujourd’hui au Darfour, en Ethiopie, au Zimbabwe ou au Congo,
recemment au Rwanda ou en Irak, hier en Armenie, en Ukraine ou au
Cambodge, les populations victimes de massacres ont-elles subi un
genocide ou ont-elles ete confrontees a un crime contre l’humanite?

Question qui se pose aussi pour l’esclavagisme et la colonisation.

Juridiquement, le genocide (du grec acien genos, la race, la tribu,
et du latin cide, qui tue) est la plus haute qualification retenue
pour un crime, les crimes contre l’humanite arrivant, selon le droit
international, en second.

“Ce qui differencie ces deux crimes, c’est, selon la juriste Sevane
Garibian, l’intention particulière specifique au genocide, soit
+l’intention de detruire tout ou partie d’un groupe national,
ethnique, racial ou religieux+”. C’est d’ailleurs precisement cette
notion “d’intention” qui pose des problèmes car, explique-t-elle,
elle est particulièrement difficile a prouver.

Autre sujet au menu du colloque : la prevention des genocides. “Il
existe des comite d’alerte”, rappelle M. Mardorissian, et “ce type de
prevention, comme le Genocide Watch, est necessaire”. Mais,
nuance-t-il, “il n’est pas suffisant et il faudrait une prevention a
moyen et long terme, car lorsque l’alerte est donnee, il est deja
trop tard”.

Lors du colloque, il a ete mis en place, precise M. Mardoussian, “un
comite de suivi, charge de faire des propositions concrètes devant
les instances internationales”.

–Boundary_(ID_TbsWlBNvSoeaj5cL qOxzPg)–

Losing Freedom of Speech

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
May 5 2006

Turkish foreign minister, Abdullah Gul, asked a quite meaningful
question to French politicians whether he or one of his colleagues
would be punished for rejecting the Armenian genocide. It was a very
well advised question indeed. Really how should the Turkish
politicians answer questions regarding the so called Armenian
genocide? Getting a prison sentence is not a very weak possibility
even for political figures. The leader of the Turkish Proletarian
Party, Dogu Perincek, was arrested in Switzerland due to his speeches
regarding the issue just a few months before.

Such a thing has of course roots in (political) attitudes toward
other nations, but it would be missing the entire picture to say that
such instances are directed to a certain case, nation, or belief. The
situation seems much worse than just blindly opposing a particular
group of people. Europe recedes from its tolerant culture in general.

Tolerance is not the only value, which we back out of. The
humanitarian values, on which the modern Europe is built, are now on
a quite splitting base.

The cartoons of Jyllands-Posten led to an intense tension in the
world public opinion. Many supported them quite passionately, however
people preferred to keep their silence in many similar issues
afterwards. The famous historian, David Irving, experienced quite
uneasy days when he contradicted the established belief on the
Holocaust. Thanks to God, it did not realize but the Austrian court
jailed him for three years for the speeches, he gave ten years
before. What he said is open to debate but rejecting what someone
says is something and abolishing the right to express what he wants
to do are two very distinct things. Sentencing an academician for
what he said is totally another thing. It is thought provoking that
all the process about Mr. Irving took place in February this year, in
the middle of all the discussion about the cartoon issue.

Nowadays the Dutch Labor Party discusses introducing a preliminary
evaluation and checking of interviews, its members give. The recent
abolishment of a commercial Tv advertisement in the Netherlands is
even more confusing. The publicity medium was Rita Verdonk (the
Minister of integration and minorities) and her strict attitude was
criticized in a quite funny approach. Just like in many other cases,
she was quite determined in expelling a refugee because his residence
permit had expired. The fact that this refugee was a famous
footballer, made the case much more popular than the others. In the
advertisement, Mrs. Verdonk’s husband was driving crazy when that guy
scored against the Netherlands. The Dutch courts will now punish the
advertiser 50 000 Euros each time if it continues showing the
advertisement. People criticized this repressiveness but it can not
be said that there was a remarkable opposition to all these
happenings. People did not underline the significance of freedom of
speech in many of these instances. Restrictiveness seems to grow
silently. The list of examples can be further lengthened…

The point is to be wise enough to be able to form a common platform
to discuss this. Opposing or supporting the Holocaust is one thing,
but sentencing an academician to prison just because of his speeches
is another thing. Maybe the most frightening aspect of all these
cases is that, they take place without any noteworthy opposition. Of
course not everything can be said, there should be some basic
concerns and some exceptions like respect, national integrity, etc
but one sightedness should not be the guide.

We, all are on the edge of a gloomy phase indeed and losing something
very valuable. It took quite a long time for people to become wise
enough to learn the importance discussing rather than blindly
promoting their own ideologies. The democratic values thought people
the significance of providing a neutral ground, on which different
people could express what they believed. We are now edging away from
liberal democratic ideology and becoming hostiles again. On the other
hand, liberals, themselves also act highly contradictory to their
ideologies nowadays. How much liberal are liberals themselves in this
context? Or does liberalism just follow a path towards a different
form of fundamentalism? Liberals are quite open when what they
believe is at stake but critical and even aggressive when people
contradict them. Ayaan Ali Hirsi, the member of parliament of Dutch
Liberal Party, recently published an article with the title of
confrontation in place of collaboration. She was charging Islam due
to being the source of terrorism and radicalization within the
society in her article, just like she does in all her speeches. In
the meantime, she is chosen as the candidate for the Nobel price for
this year.

To conclude, Europe losses its basic principles and exaggerated
nationalism, Islamaphobia, exclusionism take their place. Maybe we
should now ask ourselves the question whether systems can survive
despite eradicating their core values.

05 May 2006

Nermin Aydemir is Netherland representative for Journal of Turkish
Weekly

ACCORDING TO EVU DEPUTY CHAIRMAN, KARABAKH PROBLEM SOLUTION SHOULD NOT ENDANGER SECURITY OF ARTSAKH PEOPLE

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 05 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 5, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Erkrapah Volunteers
Union (EVU) only had the task of solving the problem of security
of the Artsakh people. This problem has been solved today, it has
just not been stipulated diplomatically. EVU Deputy Chairman Myasnik
Malkhasian stated this during the May 5 meeting at the National Press
Club. According to him, the solution of the Karabakh problem should
not endanger the security of the people of Artsakh.

In his words, the liberated territories that have formed a
security zone for Artsakh today represent such guarantees. No
part of the territory of Armenia should be made a discussion
subject at negoatiations, first of all, the problem of Artsakh’s
self-determonation should be solved and Artsakh should have a border
with Armenia. “These are the principles, within the framework of which
we will be satisfied with the problem’s solution,” he stated. “The
Erkrapah was created with the aim of liberating territories, and we
have accomplished that task. We liberated so many regions as to prevent
the capital and other settlements of Artsakh from being shelled,”
another deputy chairman of the union Ara Ketikian said. According to
him, the Erkrapah uttered its weighty word with the Armenian army on
the battlefield. “In 1994, considering peace as the highest value,
we made not a compromise but a unilateral concession, preventing
the further advance of our military units to Gandzak and other
territories,” Ketikian said. As regards the return of territories,
this issue, in his words, is under the jurisdiction of the country’s
highest authorities.

Ketikian said that the Erkrapah also said its word after 1994 – by
promoting the strengthening of the Armenian army and working among
the youth. “We are not guaranteed against resumption of war and should
be prepared for it any moment.

Everybody has already understood that it is number one
guarantee.” Myasnik Malkhasian said that the time has shown that the
Erkrapah should not get involved in political processes. He noted that
the EVU has remained true to Sparapet Vazgen Sargsian’s behest that
Erkrapah must act as a lightning-conductor. At the same time, he said
the EVU members are citizens and may participate in parliamentary
elections. The union expects its members to win in majoritarian
elections. According to the speaker, some unpredictable developments
may take place in the upcoming parliamentary elections. He noted
that various political forces will balance the field, so electoral
commissions will be deprived of great opprtunities to falsify.

RELATIVES GIVE BLOOD

A1+
[12:06 pm] 05 May, 2006

In Sochi the relatives of the victims of the air crash are already
giving their blood for DNA analysis, RA Minister of Transportation
Igor Levitin informed.

Let us remind you that only 41 of the 53 bodies have been recognized.

The Minister also informed that by the request of the relatives of
the victims in Sochi a monument will be erected in memory of the
victims of the air crash of the plane A-320.

DEPUTY GENERAL PROSECUTOR OF RUSSIAN FEDERATION ARRIVED AT THE PLACE OF CATASTROPHE

Panorama.am
13:53 03/05/06

Deputy General Prosecutor of Russian Federation Nikolay Shepel
arrived at the place of A-320 aircraft catastrophe. It was reported
by RIA -News agency with the reference to the General Procuracy of
the Russian Federation. According to the source, Procuracy created
investigative task force group, headed by the senior coroner of the
public prosecutor”s office of the city of Sochi.

It is worth to mention that in connection with catastrophe of the plane
A-320 public prosecutor”s office of Krasnodar region has initiated
the criminal investigation as per point 3 of the article 263 of the
Criminal Code of Russian Federation – “breach of the rules of safety
while using and piloting the air transport by individuals who are
obliged to follow and maintain those rules, due to the nature of
their occupation and which has caused death of two or more persons”.

As of public prosecutor”s offices, at present rescuers discovered
dead bodies and body fragments. Earlier Emergency Situations
Department reported that 25 dead bodies were taken off the water. On
preliminary finding each of 113 persons that were on board of the plane
perished. The debris of the plane are found on 400 meters beyond the
water surface.

Finmarket reports that the Minister of Transport of Russia Igor
Levitin has departed to the place of air -crash. It also reports
that specialists of the interstate aircraft committee joined the
investigation however first findings about reason of the tragedy will
be announced only after decryptions of the flight recorders. Meantime,
as Russian Media reports bad weather conditions sharply reduce the
probability of finding the flight recorders. The representative of
the International aircraft committee Rudolf Teymurazov has declared
that he is skeptical about the possibility to find anything in the
sea, moreover on more that one km distance from the coast . In this
connection he has noted that investigations of the reasons of the
catastrophe by the special commission will occupy long time and he
does not expect to come to any conclusions in the nearest time.

At present more than 20 rescue crews work at the place of the tragedy
, including deep-water device “Goblin” which allows to examine the
place of the catastrophe up to 500 meter depth . Besides that the
ship leaves from Sevastopol equipped with undersea device “Tiger”,
which will also be able to examine the objects at the depth of 500
m and more – says “Finmarket”.

THE FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS WILL GET 20000 USD COMPENSATION

A1+
[01:14 pm] 04 May, 2006

“The passengers and the aircraft are insured; it is an Armenian
company reinsured in London. Each family will get a compensation
of 20 000 USD,” declared the head of the “Armavia” company Michael
Bagdasarov who is in Sochi at present. He claims that the company
suffered moral and financial losses. According to his preliminary
calculation, the financial loss exceeds 10 million USD.

Mr. Bagdasarov assures that the “A – 320” airplane was in a proper
technical state; it was completely repaired in Belgrade in April
and was charged with 10 tons fuel before the flight. At present the
rescuers are still engaged in body and “record boxes” searchings. The
crash occurred at night of May 2. But the “record boxes” haven’t been
found yet.

RA Defence Minister Serge Sargsyan and RF Transportation Minister
Igor Levitin who is the head of the searching headquarters declared
that they will stay in Sochi by the time the “record boxes” are
found. Special equipment capable of realizing searchings at the depth
of 3 km was taken to the scene.

So far 50 corpses were found and 17 of them were identified.

ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTER TO HEAD PLANE CRASH INVESTIGATION

RIA Novosti, Russia
May 3 2006

YEREVAN, May 3 (RIA Novosti) – Armenian Defense Minister Serzh Sargsyan
will head an investigation into a plane crash early Wednesday that
claimed 113 lives, Armenia’s presidential press service said.

An Armenian airlines Armavia A-320 airbus came down about six
kilometers off Russia’s Black Sea coast while heading for an airport
in Adler, which services the resort of Sochi. In all, 105 passengers
and eight crew members were on board.

The Emergencies Ministry said bad weather was the most likely cause of
the tragedy. Rescuers said they recovered 25 bodies from the wreckage
so far.